ONIONS

[huntingmaxima]

Has anyone heard of topping onions once they start to seed on top? Does that make the the nutrients go to the bulb instead of the stem?

[fishin4fun85]

you mean cutting the flower off the top? in my family we would just let them grow on the onion....I would imagine theres a purpose to the flower, but it's possible that they are like any plant...when you damage one part of it, then the plant puts more effort into the undamaged parts to make them grow better....my thoughts were that the flowers were meant to help catch the sunlight thus making the onion better, but if anyone else knows better they can put my rambling on here in it's place.....

[Tom7227]

I don't know the answer to your direct question, but a year ago we were at one of those back to the 1700's farms and they had onions that not only had flowered but there were these little things on top that looked like onions. I swiped a couple and planted them and now I have some 1700's onions growing in my back yard. Tried some last night and those babies are strong.

[KEN W]

The bulbs growing on the tops of onion plants are next years seed.Onions are a bi-annual.They grow seeds on top the second year of growing.This usually happens when planted sets are to large.That's one reason why when buying sets you always take the smallest ones.the other reason is sets are usually sold by the pound and by taking the smallest ones,you get the most bang for your buck.

Since the onion thinks it is in it's second year,it will produce seeds.Always cut the them off.And eat those first since they will not keep as long as the ones that don't go to seed.